Got about a page written last night, but I'm hoping to get a lot done this weekend.

DocBrown

07-04-2009, 02:05 AM

I was hoping someone would get this thread going. I didn't want to have to be the one to start it twice in a row. Especially since I didn't even average 500 words a day in June. (Close! 478 words, but no cigar!) I suppose I could make the excuse that it was due to all the travel and family BS, but that is just an excuse.

As for July, I have a rather inauspicious beginning since I went out of town on the first and yesterday I was suprememly lazy. ;) But today I wrote 2001 words (and yes, I added in 7 just to get over that last mark :tongue ).

So I am done with Chapter 23. I now have one chapter and the epilogue to go! Yeah, I decided on the epilogue. I felt it was important the reader should know the MC gets banished from the City of Angels for winning the duel and saving the Angel's lives. Poor kid will never be welcome in Heaven again. Sniff! Sniff!

Hope everyone continues to make good progress this month! :D

I'm starting to look forward to my rewrite!

Clair Dickson

07-04-2009, 12:49 PM

1,123 words for today.

TheIT

07-04-2009, 01:03 PM

About five pages written in the notebook today, and I'm pleased with how the scene turned out.

heyjude

07-04-2009, 05:46 PM

A grand whopping total of 123 yesterday. Which my 6 y o dd accused me of making up. But I didn't. Anyway, a lame number, but I have a great excuse. ::flips through excuse box:: Oh, yes, we had a showing on the house yesterday. Well, last night. Well, really, really late last night.

Okay, there's no real excuse. Today I'm on it.

Hettie

07-04-2009, 07:07 PM

May I join? I had the wonderful goal of 1000 words a day in June... I started the goal on the 7th of June... Made that goal... but now that I am in the middle I think I need a more realistic goal... 500 sounds GREAT!!!

I took yesterday and the day before off though... will start right now.

Is it horrible to make one of the MC's disappear at the end?

TheIT

07-04-2009, 11:24 PM

Welcome, Hettie! More the merrier.

When you say "make an MC disappear", what do you mean? Through a magic door or something?

heyjude

07-05-2009, 12:18 AM

:welcome: Hettie! Glad you're here.

TheIT's right, we need more info on "disappearing." If your MC is present and accounted for in one chapter and simply never comes back, yes, that's a problem.

Happy Fourth to all the Americans! :partyguy:

Hettie

07-05-2009, 02:36 AM

ok, there is a fight... the MC is shot, the other MC is shot and passes out... when she wakes up in the hospital, the first MC is gone... It is a little supernatural though... I the author know where he is...

Clair Dickson

07-05-2009, 09:02 AM

Got 667 words tonight.

Welcome Hettie! 500 words is a nice goal... and I'm a big proponent of keeping going if the ball is rolling. Sometimes after a good nudge, the ball rolls pretty well.

I finally got the title for my car!!! Monday I get to put the plate on my new car... unfortunately it has wait until AFTER work. Curses. I'm off work for a month and the FIRST day I go back to a set schedule is when I finally get the title. If I wrote that in a book, I'd be hung in effigy. =P

deserata

07-05-2009, 09:23 AM

It's been raining ALL DAY where I'm at, so the 4th of July festivities have been pushed back to tomorrow! I'm bummed!

But hey, I got 800 words in, so it worked out... :D

Welcome, Hettie!

Hettie

07-05-2009, 07:52 PM

Thanks everyone for the welcomes....

I made it to 30k!!! woohoo!!! But, I think I ran out of words!

TheIT

07-05-2009, 11:04 PM

Not sure of the word count, but I finished the scene and started transcribing it. Next scene I can lift from the first draft (finally), then my creepy character gets to come out to play. :D

Hettie, there are always more words. Don't worry, you'll find them. As for the missing MC - are you ending the book on a cliffhanger? If the story question is answered but a character goes away, I don't think that would bother me as a reader. But if the story's left dangling, that would bug me greatly.

Hettie

07-05-2009, 11:08 PM

Cliffhanger.....

Too many ideas to close up in one book... possibly.... at least in my genre... TheIT what genre do you write most?

DocBrown

07-06-2009, 09:58 AM

Welcome Hettie! :)

TheIt stole my line about there being more than just 30k words. Oh well, should have posted sooner. ;)

Anyway, I worked hard today trying to finish up my story and after 3031 words, I didn't even manage to finish the chapter.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be the day I can claim victory over this project. Just need to finish this chapter and write the epilogue. Another two or three thousand words with any luck.

There's a lot of people making a lot of progress! Keep it up everyone!

Almost bought a new dining table, but didn't.
Almost got to bed early, but didn't.
Almost finished the lawn, but didn't.
Almost got a chance to write, but didn't.
Almost got the cat to take a treat from my hand, but didn't.
=P

Maybe tomorrow.

heyjude

07-06-2009, 05:04 PM

Poor Claire! Keep after all of them! Especially that cat. It sounds like you're making progress. And good luck with the car.

Doc, good luck getting finished!

As for me, I got about 341 words on Saturday. Then none yesterday. ::flips through excuse box again, elbows Doc out of the way before he starts lecturing:: We had multiple offers on our house. So... yeah. That's my excuse. I was in shock.

BUT I did consult my expert in Pretty Much Everything (DH) and he gave me some incredibly wicked cool ideas for accomplishing what I want to do. (Yanno, destroying lives, wrecking cities, etc.) A year ago I would have said I don't have the chops to pull off this kind of story, but now... now I think I do (gulp). Now I just have to find time to write it.

That is funny- I think I asked that question in the Pub thread 2 weeks ago... the pubbers ignored the question... I will answer...

I don't think so, unless you copy and paste into your WIP...

510 last night... woohoo!!! But, I laid my head down on my pillow and realized I put a plot hole in... so must move the scene around today.... hmmm... bummer!!

Good luck today everyone!! Hettie

TheIT

07-06-2009, 10:00 PM

Finished transcribing the scene yesterday, but I'm not sure of the word count. I'm trying to figure out whether the next scene should be a crowd scene or whether I can skip that and move on to the fun stuff. ;)

Hettie, I write fantasy, but my WIP is turning into a murder mystery. How about you?

And no, posts and writing up excuses for the excuse box don't count towards the 500 words/day. :D

:Sun: and :poke:, everyone!

Hettie

07-06-2009, 10:30 PM

Hmmmm... the GENRE question...

Here goes... started as a mystery, with a bit of fantasy, turned into a bit of a romance, a little naughtiness (so not me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), so it would be chicklitmysfan.... Can't put me in a box!

Fixed the holes I created last night! WOOHOO!!! How is everyone else doing?

DocBrown

07-07-2009, 07:46 AM

All Done! 2530 words today. :partyguy:

25 chapters featuring 56,136 words. Can't wait to rewrite it so it is not so tight. It's really begging to be 80-90k words.

So, here's the big question? Do I take a few days maybe a week off, or do I start the rewrite tomorrow?

What does everyone else do for their rewrites/edits?

Hettie

07-07-2009, 07:57 AM

All Done! 2530 words today. :partyguy:

25 chapters featuring 56,136 words. Can't wait to rewrite it so it is not so tight. It's really begging to be 80-90k words.

So, here's the big question? Do I take a few days maybe a week off, or do I start the rewrite tomorrow?

What does everyone else do for their rewrites/edits?

Since you are asking... I personally would print it.... book a flight to somewhere with a beach... and start the edit on the plane with a pen, red always seems so mean, so maybe green.

Get to the beach as soon as you can... edit some more. Rake your little toes in the sand. Open a bottle of (beer, water, soda, whatever) and edit some more.

Don't like sun, then wait until the night to edit on the beach. Listen to the waves. They are soothing and will help you work.

Gotta go.... must book a flight to a beach!

Clair Dickson

07-07-2009, 08:26 AM

Congrats Doc!

As for me, I tend to start editing right after I finish. I'm usually excited about realigning things so they fit with the ending. (I'm not an outliner.)

Nothing today. Except for a pair of wet pants when I pissed myself upon realizing I'd misread the deadlines for my grad course. Not only did I miss one... I learned that my already insane workload is actualy twice as big as previously thought. Apparently students in this course are not supposed to be doing anything but take this one grad course... I mean, we're all teachers in this teacher-oriented course, so we must all have the summer off. I like getting screwed, but not like this.

I'm hoping to use my breaks for writing, but only if my stress level inches down from [Lengthy string of expletives] to [Triplet of Expletives].

heyjude

07-07-2009, 04:43 PM

:hooray::hooray::hooray: Doc! What a great feeling! When I finish, I do a pass right away, then put the ms away for about 6 weeks. For me, that's long enough that it gives me fresh eyes, but not so long as I lose the thread of what I was trying to accomplish. Then I edit for a bit, and repeat (another 4-6 weeks, another edit) for as long as necessary until I A) Give up or B) Am happy. Congrats!

Hettie, that beach sounds soooo nice. Can I come? My ungrateful snot of a friend called from the beach yesterday. ("What? I can't hear you over all the fun I'm having...") Grrr.

I got on the ball yesterday with 961 words, including one of my all time favorite lines. Don't you love it when that happens?

TheIT

07-07-2009, 10:00 PM

Congrats on finishing, Doc! :partyguy:

I like Hettie's suggestions on editing. :D As for me, when I hit the end of a project, I'm usually too close to it (and too tired of it) to look at it with clear perspective, so I work on something else before editing. In my case, after I finished my first first draft, I wrote the first draft of another novel. I'm now editing (rewriting) the first one. If you've got the momentum to leap into editing, I'd say go with it, but think about something else to work on to clear your palate.

Finished transcribing the last scene and merged it into the master document, so I'm up to almost 97K on this draft.

DocBrown

07-08-2009, 02:00 AM

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. :D

I am definitely taking the next two or three days off. I have to help a friend with some accounting work.

Since I didn't have a full outline when I started, there were naturally things that evolved along the way, so I am not so much editing as rewriting. I'm sure I'll be able to use some stuff here and there, but in the beginning, It's definitely a do-over. Especially since the second draft will start around chapter 5. I started the story at the beginning, but that doesn't seem to be the best place to start the book. ;)

So, I'll probably start writing this weekend. I have some momentum and a lot of the new ideas are still fresh in my mind.

Again,thanks for the suggestions. It's always good to see what others would do in the same situation.

AnnieColleen

07-08-2009, 09:28 AM

I wound up taking an unplanned sabbatical this past week, so not much here (a couple of sticky-notes in there)...but I got a good start on a major cross-stitch project, and I've figured out the next plot point. Just need to get it into the outline and keep going!

heyjude

07-08-2009, 04:57 PM

897 and once again something about it isn't sitting right with me. Too darn distracted with this stupid house, etc. There's a bad guy that just doesn't seem like a bad guy. I don't want him to be a bad guy.

Anyway, hey, Clair, how's the new car? Up and running yet?

TheIT

07-08-2009, 11:44 PM

About four pages written in the notebook last night. Another case of figuring out how the scene should play when actually writing it down. I'd been thinking about it ahead of time, but it wasn't until I was writing down the words that I had the "of course, that's what should happen" moment.

Hettie

07-09-2009, 06:24 AM

Cannot get motivated, again!!! Maybe I just need to give it a rest. 410 words in 2 days... ick!!! OK, so I am officially on vacation until Saturday, make that Sunday!!!! UMMMMM Sunday, Night, right....

Good luck everyone, have a great weekend. Mine is starting, right, now!

AnnieColleen

07-09-2009, 10:15 AM

860! (ok, some of it is duplication between notes and outline, but still. Three scenes in the outline, and I've got the beginning that I'd skipped over before, and a new plot line to carry through.)

Sabbaticals apparently help!

DocBrown

07-09-2009, 11:45 AM

Taking a few days off is almost always beneficial for me. I think taking a break is a good idea. Not always, but there are times when it's obvious (after a few days of struggling) that one needs some down time.

heyjude

07-09-2009, 05:30 PM

::heyjude reaches for the excuse box, which explodes. heyjude sits on the floor, whimpering::

::sees DocBrown's message above::

Yeah! That's what I need! A break! Then it will all become clearer...

I'm going to take a break and go buy a house (or stalk Hettie to the beach, whatever). See you all soon. Hope everyone has a great week-end!

Hettie

07-09-2009, 06:49 PM

Heyjude... you are welcome to come to the beach with me... leaving this evening at 4:30.... There, no need to stalk!

Sorry about your excuse box, got a little carried away when I was looking through it for a good one to use this weekend! I will buy you another!

BfloGal

07-09-2009, 07:23 PM

Hi, all--

After slogging for days on a very difficult rewrite of chapter 18, I added...62 words. Net.

But it is much tighter and more happens, so it is all good. But that chapter was a mess. I must have been on Nyquil or something.

Rewrite now stands at 52,959.

Now, on to nineteen....

TheIT

07-09-2009, 11:38 PM

No words last night, but I've been percolating the next scenes. My revision is diverging from the original draft. Somewhat scary, but I think the story will be better.

DocBrown

07-12-2009, 02:06 AM

Uh oh! Now everyone's on a break! :tongue

Fortunately, I started writing again last night. Draft 2!

I wrote 398 words before midnight and 829 after. Maybe 2-300 words of that are recycled. Maybe a bit less. Because I'm starting the book at chapter 5, I have to add in some info that was previously explained in the first four chapters.

I have some laundry in the dryer ATM, but after I get that out, I'll start back at it and see how much I can add to that 829 this evening.

This is my first rewrite. While writing the first draft, I averaged about 500 words a day. (Could these threads have anything to do with that? :Shrug:) I'd like to average about 1000 words this time through. I think that's manageable since more than half the book is already written. If I could manage that, I should be done with the rewrite right around my birthday (Sept. 30th).

My sister is an artist (one of the creator types as opposed to the imitator types). She wants to draw some pics for my book. Giving her early access and those extra couple of months until Xmas, will hopefully give her plenty of time to make some nice drawings. I'd like to self publish a few copies so that I can give one to my grandmother for Xmas.

Another 898 this evening. Add in the 829 from earlier in the day and I had 1727 for Saturday!

**Listens to the crickets with AnnieColleen**

Wow! Everyone else is taking a break...

Good for them! :D

They'll only come back stronger! ;)

Hettie

07-12-2009, 11:09 AM

Hello all! I am well rested... hope everyone else fairs as well!!!

I asked a friend to read the first chapter of what I have done so far... she asked if she could take it with her so she could read it all!!! She actually wanted to read it... and I did not pay her or anything!!! WOOHOO!! Oh, and she said it was funny and even made sense... yay!

So, anyway, I am a bit excited. I will start writing again tomorrow!!! REALLY, TRULY I will!!!!

DocBrown

07-13-2009, 10:49 AM

1044 words for Sunday, though much of it, probably 70% was cannibalized from the old version.

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend off! :)

heyjude

07-13-2009, 05:04 PM

I'm back from the house-hunting trip. I'm exhausted, tense, and stressed.

Exactly where I need to be to get back into my MC's head! Woo-hoo!

TheIT

07-14-2009, 12:01 AM

Lots of percolating, little writing. Over the weekend, I helped some friends at their garage sale. Only got a little sunburned...

I'm hoping to get some writing done tonight.

DocBrown

07-14-2009, 09:41 AM

Edited a 1750 word chapter into a 2150 word chapter, so I guess I managed about 400 words today. Of course, that's net and may not be much, but I am pleased with the progress. :D

heyjude

07-14-2009, 05:13 PM

1033 yesterday, including some fixing of problematic areas.

TheIT, I'm interested in your revision... (can you tell I'm obsessed with editing?) Is it significantly different? Will it change the ending?

TheIT

07-14-2009, 09:38 PM

Got about a page written on a new challenge piece. I'm experimenting with 3rd person omniscient so that's throwing me off a bit.

TheIT, I'm interested in your revision... (can you tell I'm obsessed with editing?) Is it significantly different? Will it change the ending?

The revision is significantly different, but still the same basic storyline. Some characters changed personality and some events are almost but not quite the same. Also, I was able to weave in all the foreshadowing that I didn't know about during the first draft. At this point, I think the ending is going to be the same, but the path to get there will be a lot different. I'm working on filling some plot holes, too.

It's kind of like a rope fence. Certain set scenes are fixed like fenceposts, but the links between them can go in any direction as long as they end up in the same place.

Thanks for asking!

DocBrown

07-15-2009, 04:38 AM

I didn't spend a lot of time working today. I did go through and smooth out the first two chpaters. A net of +165 words.

Time to ship these two chapters off to an alpha reader. ;)

heyjude

07-15-2009, 04:31 PM

531 yesterday, including a game-changer that I'm slightly worried about. But today, ah today, there is great romance in store. If my MC were halfway normal she would really enjoy it.

But she's not, and it will only confuse her. I'll have to enjoy it for her.

Hettie

07-16-2009, 02:25 AM

Looks like everyone is at least writing something... I am not. Have not had any new, exciting or even rational thoughts about my WIP.... EEEP!

I need inspiration, an idea, a tequila shot!

Any suggestions?

TheIT

07-16-2009, 04:10 AM

Wrote a couple of pages on the challenge piece last night but I'm not happy with how it's turning out, so I think tonight it'll be back to the revision. I want to get this done so I can move on to the next one.

Looks like everyone is at least writing something... I am not. Have not had any new, exciting or even rational thoughts about my WIP.... EEEP!

I need inspiration, an idea, a tequila shot!

Any suggestions?

Just start writing and keep writing even if you're not sure where you're going. Part of the reason my first draft ended up as 148K words was because I was making it up as I went along. There's a lot of wandering around in there until I finally hit the next Aha! moment. Remember: 500 words/day. Not so much, really. Good luck!

:Sun: and :poke:, everyone!

Hettie

07-16-2009, 05:15 AM

ok- sounds like a great plan... but, I plan to do shots first!!!!

AnnieColleen

07-16-2009, 09:18 AM

The crickets ran away with my last word-count mark, but I've now added a royal child's birthday party, tracked a few characters down in the woodwork, and discovered an obscure philosopher wherein my MC hopes to discover clues to magic. I just have to remove the blaring MORAL OF THE STORY sign from the philosopher's passage, and it's all good...

:D

heyjude

07-16-2009, 04:11 PM

:poke: to Hettie. Put down that shot. I mean it now. That's not going to make your writing any clearer.

And, um, Annie? Crickets?

560 for me, including the most wonderful romantic scene... which leads me to wonder, how much romance in MTS is too much? But I suspect that is a topic for another thread, one I'm much too lazy to start right now...

Hettie

07-16-2009, 06:35 PM

Thanks Jude for your concern. Shots would have been bad! I had two lovely appletinis instead.... came home and wrote a whopping 75 words... BETTER THAN NOTHING I suppose!

Today I plan on filling in another hole! Think it might spark some exciting twists and turns! But first swimming lessons and drama camp!

Good Day!

TheIT

07-16-2009, 10:02 PM

Got caught up transcribing from the notebook. Not sure of the word count. One more scene transcribing, then out into new territory again.

AnnieColleen

07-16-2009, 11:42 PM

And 442 at lunch today.

This thread needs more of these, I think:

:Sun::Sun::Sun::Sun::Sun::Sun::Sun::Sun::Sun::Sun:

(we've got more than plenty here, so I'll share!)

TheIT

07-17-2009, 12:06 AM

:Sun:, definitely.

But this thread needs some more of these, too:

:poke::poke::poke::poke:

Let's see some words!

:D

Hettie

07-17-2009, 03:14 AM

Thanks for the pokes.... they worked. I wrote about half a chapter today... OVER 500 words thank you very much!!! WOOHOO!!!!

Now, did I fill a hole, or dig a deeper one, that is the question?

AnnieColleen

07-17-2009, 09:02 AM

Or even :e2poke::e2poke::e2poke::e2poke::e2poke:

...ok, ok. Opening the outline now!

DocBrown

07-17-2009, 09:22 AM

After taking yesterday off, I find myself having to rewrite the entirity of CH. 3. I did manage to recycle an old conversation from an abandoned chapter by giving the dialog to a new character. That gave me a free 150-200 words.

1144 on the day, including the freebies. :hooray:

Hopefully, I can finish Ch. 3 on Friday. Finger crossed.

AnnieColleen

07-17-2009, 11:30 AM

400+ more tonight. You can quit poking now! :tongue

Yay for 1Ks!

heyjude

07-17-2009, 04:14 PM

651 yesterday. And we'll never quit poking!!! :poke:

TheIT

07-17-2009, 09:42 PM

Participated in last night's SF/F chat and aired some of my plotting woes. The discussion got me thinking (always dangerous), and I think I know how to tackle the next section. I'd been assuming something about the timing of the next event, but if I pull the event forward, it'll tighten up the action considerably.

AnnieColleen

07-17-2009, 11:07 PM

Ok, y'all are persuasive... 789 at lunch today. (I got to one of the major inciting scenes, with misbehaving magic. :D ) Almost caught up to the part I've already done.

Sounds like the chat was really helpful!

TheIT

07-17-2009, 11:34 PM

Sounds like the chat was really helpful!

It was. I'm not sure whether I'm going to use any of the specific suggestions, but some of them triggered other ideas which I think I can run with. I think I'm going to need to see the transcript, though. I kept losing my connection, and I know I missed some of the suggestions as they flew by. :D

545 this evening. Who knows tomorrow -- we'll be cleaning out the grandparents' garage. Fun times.

heyjude

07-18-2009, 05:30 PM

1483 yesterday, plus I had a beta reader look at a section I was concerned about. Turns out I was right: something's missing.

Annie, I might come help you with that garage. We've got a family reunion...

AnnieColleen

07-19-2009, 08:34 AM

I might take you up on that... we got everything pulled out today, and whew. Junk who knows how old, and obvious evidence of critter infestation. We only actually saw a couple of geckoes, though. We get to scrub it all out tomorrow...

Good luck with the reunion! (sounds like it might be needed? but way to go on the words :Sun: )

And 572 words here.

DocBrown

07-19-2009, 10:42 AM

Went to watch the new Harry Potter flick today, so I only got around to some editing. A did manage a net +280 words.

Steam&Ink

07-19-2009, 03:08 PM

1,942 words - and there goes my Sunday, ladies and gentlemen.
Nevertheless, almost 2000 words today!!! yay... of course, this scarcely makes up for the seven or eight days when I didn't write a word :)

heyjude

07-19-2009, 04:18 PM

Hi there steampunkette! That's some serious wordage!

Annie, there were a few reptiles at my family reunion, too. :) You know, one of the things that bugs me as a writer is that you can't write everything like real life. No one would believe that kind of stuff. My mind is still boggling.

Nevertheless, 1454 for yesterday. The reunion provided much fodder.

Dark Window

07-20-2009, 10:11 PM

Well, I've managed to unwrite two and a half thousand words - but it means that finally, my second draft is finished! Cosy mystery down to 83,000, which feels about right. I just need to zip through and check it all again, but I'm getting awfully near the "Show it to someone else" stage!

heyjude

07-20-2009, 10:19 PM

Whew, Dark! I'm glad to see you. I was starting to think I was all alone...

Got just over 500 yesterday.

TheIT

07-20-2009, 10:52 PM

14 pages written in the notebook over the weekend. Not as far storywise as I wanted to get, but I know what comes next. Looking at the original draft, I've only got 100 pages left to rewrite (out of 277), so the end is in sight.

Congrats on hitting THE END, Dark!

:partyguy:

AnnieColleen

07-20-2009, 10:56 PM

I got stuck yesterday, but I think I know how to get around it...hopefully this evening.

:poke:

Steam&Ink

07-21-2009, 03:26 AM

I just need to zip through and check it all again, but I'm getting awfully near the "Show it to someone else" stage!

Well done :)
Thinking about showing it to someone else is scary and exhilerating at the same time, isn't it?

DocBrown

07-21-2009, 09:03 AM

You know, one of the things that bugs me as a writer is that you can't write everything like real life. No one would believe that kind of stuff.

You mean no one would believe how boring most things are! :tongue

Welcome steampunkette and Dark Window! :welcome:

As for me, a pretty good day at 1862 words, maybe 300 recyced. I'm still pretty close to being on schedule for the rewrite. 10,700 words in 11 days, only 300 words shy from 1k words a day goal. (Both new & recycled total.)

Hettie

07-21-2009, 09:08 AM

Ok.... big zilcho on the wip BUT I have written some poetry... so at least it is something!!!

Maybe when it starts raining I will be inspired... Congrats Doc and anyone else that did more than I (pretty much everyone probably!!)...

Dark Window

07-21-2009, 02:29 PM

Well I wrote a quite apallingly trite short story of about seven hundred words. But it gave me a break from my main project, and hell, it was seven hundred words.

Don't you wish sometimes, when you're writing, that the characters will just shut up and let you get on with the plot?

heyjude

07-21-2009, 04:06 PM

1207 yesterday. Doc, normally I would agree with you on that "boring", but... ::shudder:: When the day kicks off with a rousing round of who could and could not make bail for the event, you know it's anything but boring. ::shudder::

Dark, hey, even apallingly trite is words! And sometimes you need that break...

Steam&Ink

07-21-2009, 04:13 PM

Welcome steampunkette and Dark Window! :welcome:

Thanks, nice to be here :)

I got somewhere between 1500 and 2,000 words today, not sure because I didn't check the exact number of words when I logged on - so excited was I about getting the creative juices flowing!

AnnieColleen

07-21-2009, 10:42 PM

571 at lunch today. Got around the last sticking point; now it's connect the dots.

DocBrown

07-22-2009, 08:00 AM

Over 1500 words today with about 700 recycled. Chapter 4 is done. :)

Dark Window

07-22-2009, 02:19 PM

"This morning I took out a comma and this afternoon I put it back in again" Oscar Wilde proof reading.

Golly, I know how he feels...

I took out a hundred words which made the whole plot seem much slimmer, sleeker, snazzier and snappier.

Tomorrow I hope to take out another hundred which will make it more tight, trim, tense and taut. Then I'll move on to the "u"s.

heyjude

07-22-2009, 04:32 PM

1662 yesterday, plus got some really fun beta comments back that helped add what was missing to a scene.

Dark, I can't wait to hear what the "u"s are!

Spring

07-22-2009, 05:11 PM

Hello there! I'm back from the great beyond. I'm deep in editing limbo. I'm currently ecstatic to be ripping apart the book, and I know it'll be better in the long run.

Great to still see familiar names on the thread - and a few new ones too!

Hello Hello Hello Hello :)

Dark Window

07-22-2009, 10:36 PM

My wife has been killing all my commas. She's a comma murderer. Her reason, "the narrator sounds like he's a massively obese asthmatic running up a hill, with all those commas."

There isn't even a narrator :(

DocBrown

07-22-2009, 10:57 PM

It's only 1:30pm for me, but I know I won't be getting any more done before midnight. My liter and a half of Mountain Dew is about to wear off, so I'm only just about to go to bed now! :tongue

Anyway, I wrote a new chapter from scratch today. 'Twas a little longer than I was expecting at 3086 words, but made for a great night of writing.

Hope everyone else is as successful today! :poke:

TheIT

07-23-2009, 12:31 AM

Commas are my nemesis...

Got a couple more pages written last night at writers' group. Plus I read a snippet to my writers' group and they immediately guessed something I was trying to hint, so I'll have to rework the scene to make is less obvious. :D

heyjude

07-23-2009, 02:20 AM

'Twas a little longer than I was expecting at 3086 words, but made for a great night of writing.

Hope everyone else is as successful today! :poke:

Well, I'm going to come up a little short. Can I have some of your words? Or at least the end of that liter of Mountain Dew?

Steam&Ink

07-23-2009, 03:21 AM

Plus I read a snippet to my writers' group and they immediately guessed something I was trying to hint, so I'll have to rework the scene to make is less obvious. :D

d'oh! I know that feeling. I think I'm being so clever with my delicate hints, then it turns out I've been about as subtle as a brick in a silk stocking! (I actually ended up describing one of my charcters that way, because she reminded me so much of ME, suffering as I do from "foot in mouth disease")

At least, it's good to get the feedback from your group though. I have to find myself a writers group in my home town, they sound really useful. :)

DocBrown

07-23-2009, 08:11 AM

Well, I'm going to come up a little short. Can I have some of your words? Or at least the end of that liter of Mountain Dew?

Hmm, that other half liter was drank the day before, but I have a fresh 2 liter you can tackle. None for me tonight. I have a dinner engagement in 19 1/2 hours, so I'll need to sleep at some point in between. ;)

10:40pm, looks like I might actually get some stuff done before midnight...

Oh well, I'll put it on tomorrow's bill since I don't plan on having another 3k word night. I have laundry to do, and *gasps* I might have to shave today before I shower. Busy, busy,... ;)

heyjude

07-23-2009, 04:11 PM

Okay, today I am really going to need that Mountain Dew. Been up since 4 and it's officially wedding season. Three days of the other side of the family (but no less crazy!)...

595 yesterday, most of which I will probably tear out and redo. Wooden. Plus I didn't think it through first and there is at least one superfluous character in there. He'd do me a favor by refusing to come.

Did I see Manderley in a different thread?

Steam&Ink

07-23-2009, 04:30 PM

Only 444 this evening... my heart wasn't in it, and I ended up cutting out more than I wrote!!
Oh well, tomorrow is another day, to quote Scarlett...

DocBrown

07-24-2009, 02:12 AM

Decided to take most of today off, though I did a few edits and netted myself 175 words.

I suppose I need to get ready for this dinner party so I can have breakfast. ;)

heyjude: Beware the shotguns! :D

TheIT

07-24-2009, 02:16 AM

No words last night. I had to stay late at work and my brain was too fried to be creative afterward. Tonight might be better. Maybe I'll transcribe what I wrote in the notebook. That's always a good thing to do when I'm not feeling particulary creative.

heyjude

07-24-2009, 04:14 PM

No words yesterday. I'm hoping for some today, but really... surviving The Wedding could be all I could ask for. Think anyone would mind if I popped open the Netbook during the ceremony? :)

Steam&Ink

07-24-2009, 04:53 PM

Hurrah, 2,136 words today
:hooray:
I wrote the final scene of my ms, and although I know I'll be coming back and editing the heck out of it sooner or later, I still think it might be not a bad night's work...
*does a little uncoordinated dance*

DocBrown

07-25-2009, 08:27 AM

All new stuff: 3238 for today! :hooray:

I have been really focused and on a roll this past week. 12,415 new words in 8 days. Wish it could always be like this! ;)

Huzzah steampunkette! Good luck on the rewrites! :)

Steam&Ink

07-25-2009, 02:20 PM

All new stuff: 3238 for today! :hooray:

I have been really focused and on a roll this past week. 12,415 new words in 8 days. Wish it could always be like this! ;)

Huzzah steampunkette! Good luck on the rewrites! :)

Right back atcha!! That's some power-writing going on there, Doc :)

heyjude

07-25-2009, 05:44 PM

I'm in awe of both of you! That's a lotta words!

And now I'm embarrassed to admit I got a grand total of 146 yesterday. I also survived The Wedding, which counts for something...

Hettie

07-25-2009, 09:30 PM

I have just gotten back my WIP from a trusted friend with many notes!!! I am so excited to get busy this weekend!!! So, hopefully tonight I can inform you that I am no longer being a huge waste!!!

Have a wonderful, and productive day!!!

AnnieColleen

07-26-2009, 12:45 AM

Bits and pieces here, nothing countable. I know where it needs to go next, tho.

DocBrown

07-26-2009, 09:55 AM

And now I'm embarrassed to admit I got a grand total of 146 yesterday. I also survived The Wedding, which counts for something...

Don't be! This is my first rewrite and it seems to be going very sweetly. Even though very little is being recycled, the fact that I know where everything is going before I write it makes writing a dream. I wish I could have the first draft this well thought out in advance. ;)

Anyway, last night I did some fresh writing and some editing, so I have no exact word count. I can narrow it down to 2000-2100 words give or take.

DocBrown

07-27-2009, 08:25 AM

I decided to take Sunday off and judging by the fact that no one else posted today, I guess everyone else did too! :roll:

I'm about to sit down for Monday though. Chapter 8, here I come!

heyjude

07-27-2009, 05:01 PM

I got 529 yesterday. Here's to a good week for all!

AnnieColleen

07-27-2009, 10:39 PM

Hey now, I had words uncountable yesterday. ;)

(Mainly because I forgot to do a wordcount, and they were scattered around the outline...)

Also had a nice chat with my brother on preventing Storm Trooper Syndrome in minor characters.

heyjude

07-28-2009, 02:35 AM

What's Storm Trooper Syndrome?

Steam&Ink

07-28-2009, 03:22 AM

Also had a nice chat with my brother on preventing Storm Trooper Syndrome in minor characters.

Storm Trooper Syndrome - love it :)

Hettie

07-28-2009, 03:47 AM

I have filled in a hole in chapter 22... merged it with 23... so now I need to write a bit more before adding it to the ending... which is done, kinda... sorta! I have 160 net words... have been editing a bunch... SO better than nothin'!

AnnieColleen

07-28-2009, 07:00 AM

Storm Trooper Syndrome = heroes survive because the bad guys of the moment are stupid or incompetent. In other words a plausibility check on my scene.

DocBrown

07-28-2009, 08:01 AM

I did a fair bit of editing today, but alas that translated to a mere +298 words. Probably a good thing as that leaves me with more words for the ending. ;)

Steam&Ink

07-28-2009, 09:43 AM

Storm Trooper Syndrome = heroes survive because the bad guys of the moment are stupid or incompetent. In other words a plausibility check on my scene.

:)
like the baddy Cowboys in cliched Westerns. You always knew they were baddies because they a) wore black hats, b) couldn't hit a barn at ten paces with their Smith&Wessons, and c) died - something the white-hatted guys never did!
How long would the hero have survived if the director had one day said, "Naw, I'm not sending in the black hatted baddies- they're relegated. You green beret guys, fancy a spin in a Western? That's the good guy over there - go kill him."

heyjude

07-28-2009, 04:12 PM

Storm Trooper Syndrome = heroes survive because the bad guys of the moment are stupid or incompetent. In other words a plausibility check on my scene.

But sometimes the bad guys are stupid or incompetent! What if that's part of their charm?

635 yesterday, then editing of the same as I proved that I have no idea what I did two chapters ago.

Dark Window

07-28-2009, 06:09 PM

I got some very good bet advice the other day, so have been adding a bit of description here, and up-pacing a bit there, and plopping in a bit of motivation somewhere else. I'm amazed at how easily a motivation is changed, a character is filled out, sometimes only in a sentence or a couple of words. Thank god for word processors!

AnnieColleen

07-28-2009, 10:55 PM

But sometimes the bad guys are stupid or incompetent! What if that's part of their charm?

:D Yeah, these guys don't get that sort of charm. They're military (not modern; not green beret level) & out to kill my MC in Chapter 1 -- having them fail through stupidity sorta wrecks the story right there. (But so would having them succeed, hence the problem...)

Glad to see I'm not the only one who forgets two chapters ago! Still good for you on moving forward. :Sun:

Dark Window, way to go! I love those moments. :Sun:

TheIT

07-28-2009, 11:06 PM

Real life got way too busy, so I haven't written anything for the last few days. Got some words transcribed last night, and hopefully I'll be able to get going again tonight.

DocBrown

07-29-2009, 10:42 AM

More edits netting about 550 words.

I'm kind of torn, the next two chapters I want to condense into one chapter. One scene I almost definitely need to get rid off since it's too cute, now the question is what else?

*sigh*

heyjude

07-29-2009, 04:32 PM

No words yesterday. :( But I am still contemplating Storm Trooper Syndrome. Annie, can you have a tornado intervene? No, that would probably be too deus ex machina. Some kind of bad luck and trouble, though.

Doc Brown, I'm curious. How come two chapters into one? Does SciFi have longer chapters than other books? It's been a while (or, um, many years) since I've read any. I try to keep my chapters as short as possible. I call it James Patterson Syndrome (though not quite that short). :)

Hettie

07-29-2009, 05:57 PM

I finally have something to report... 520 words this morning... noticed some things I need to add to chapter 15 as it is only 218 words... I have been putting notes into my WIP that say things like "(researcy and add the information about webpages here)"

Hope I remember to do that!!!

Have a great day everyone!!!

Steam&Ink

07-30-2009, 03:29 AM

But I am still contemplating Storm Trooper Syndrome. Annie, can you have a tornado intervene? No, that would probably be too deus ex machina. Some kind of bad luck and trouble, though.

I've been pondering your dilemma too, Annie. I expect you've already thought of it, but I guess your novel might be best served by having the soldiers be competent enough, but fail through some brilliant moment on the part of the MC.
I'm not talking MacGyver, here ("don't thank me, thank the moon's gravitational pull"), just a clever stunt your MC can pull out, because of his past experience as a sailor/boxer/illusionist (without the details I'm grasping at straws, as you can see!)

DocBrown

07-30-2009, 04:15 AM

Annie: I agree with steampunkette on the Storm Trooper Syndrome. If these guys are chasing your MC it doesn't take a lot to lose someone who is chasing you. A good hiding spot, or simply elevation. When focused on a chase, a pursuer hardly has time to look up. But then, that might actually be a little too real life to put in a book! :D

Hettie: In my first draft I got caught up at the end of a chapter and rather than write the scene (which I had all planned out, just not written) I simply wrote, "And they miraculously escaped...". You gotta write it at some point, I just wasn't into it at the time. ;)

heyjude: I don't think Sci-fi/fantasy has any better defined sense of chapter length than any other genre. It was a numbers game, I just finished the rewrite of part one which is currently eleven chapters (tried to squeeze into ten), while parts two and three are seven and six respectively. I haven't done those rewrites and I fully expect another 2-3 chapters in each part, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that part one was a shade too long.

In the end, it flowed better as two chapters so I left it like that. As the opening to the book, I suppose it makes sense that it will be a little longer than the other two parts. I guess. :e2seesaw:

As for me: I wrote in the neighborhood of 3144 words. I heavy edited chapters 10 & 11, so the number is really just the sum of the new sections added to the net of the edited sections. So how accurate the number is... :Shrug:

Steam&Ink

07-30-2009, 04:27 AM

I love the line "and then they miraculously escaped..."
You should leave it in; make the reader do some work imagining a way out for the MC...

Hettie

07-30-2009, 04:31 AM

See, I am nutty about my word counts... I look at the bottom of the screen and keep the data... every day or so... I know I have written exactly 32,923 as of yet... The last time I had written in it was, 32,196 (2 days ago). So, I wrote a net of 727 words today... since I jump around so much, this is the only way for me to count....

Bah! I need not stress about your data keeping... need to worry about my own! Good luck all! Happy Wipping!!!

(Since it's out there -- it's an attempted assassination by setting the house on fire while he's sleeping. Him + 2 others in the house, both doors wedged shut, no other exits, four guys outside just in case. It was the four outside I wasn't sure of -- why not make sure and bring the whole squad? But, they're not expecting him to wake up, or him + others to knock down a door and still be able to fight, and they're trying to keep their involvement as secret as possible...so I think it works. At least in the outline. After the fight it's a chase, and the good guys have a lead and know the ground, so no worries there.)

...which I suppose means I better go work on the outline some more... :gone:

heyjude

07-30-2009, 07:13 PM

Annie, that makes perfect sense to me. In fact, bringing too many guys along might wake up the good guys.

197 for me yesterday, which just blew.

And now a question for you (yes, you): when you're under stress IRL, does it help your writing (ratchet up the tension level) or hinder it (you just can't get into the writing)?

TheIT

07-30-2009, 11:47 PM

Transcribed several pages from my notebook, but I'm not sure of word count.

heyjude, it depends on why I'm stressed out. Sometimes I can escape into my writing as refuge, other times when I sit down to write I worry about what else I should be doing and can't write a word. If I'm so stressed I'm worrying, that's when I take a short break from writing. I've learned that if I try to push myself when I'm in that sort of mood, it usually doesn't help and will make matters worse because then I get stressed about writing.

DocBrown

07-31-2009, 07:45 AM

Did some "organizing" along with some minor edits today; a net of 235 words give or take.

As for RL stress, it depends on the stress and what I am writing. More often than not though it does affect my writing for the worse. I wouldn't let it stress your writing. These things happen, either lower your goals accordingly, or give yourself a break entirely, but there's no need to compound the problem. ;)

heyjude

07-31-2009, 04:51 PM

I never thought about the kind of stress affecting the writing... Hmmm... I did manage 553 yesterday, and it was back up to my usual standards. But some of the stress is off, so there you go.

I hate moving. But when I wanted nothing more than to kill my real estate agent, that's when I got some really good stuff on the WIP. When things just piled on and piled on and I had too much to do, that's when the work suffered. I guess that's when I should be taking a break.

BfloGal

08-01-2009, 12:10 AM

Did anyone miss me?:hi:

Sorry for not peeking in. After some writing avoidance, and then a flurry of editing.:e2chain: I now have a fully edited manuscript.

Well, now I want to read through it quickly over the weekend. I suspect I might make a few more changes. But the months of editing are over. :partyguy:

And hello to the new faces I see.

heyjude

08-01-2009, 02:11 AM

Did anyone miss me?:hi:

YES!

And congrats on finishing up! Any words on the new WIP?

TheIT

08-01-2009, 02:18 AM

Welcome back, Bflogal! Congrats on finishing the editing! I'm still slogging through my rewrite, but I think the end is almost in sight.

Got some more transcribed last night. Current total word count = 103,550 and climbing...

DocBrown

08-01-2009, 07:38 AM

I never thought about the kind of stress affecting the writing... Hmmm... I did manage 553 yesterday, and it was back up to my usual standards. But some of the stress is off, so there you go.

Too many things to do and forcing yourself to write only increases the load. Get annoyed with someone, and suddenly the body count goes up in your novel. It all makes sense in a hippy pop psychology kind of way. :Hug2:

Welcome back BfloGal! Glad you've (mostly) finished your edits. I can understand the ducking out quietly thing. When you edit, your word count is most certainly not indicative of effort! ;)

Anyway, I wrote a new transitional chapter last night. I don't think it could have turned out better if I had planned it in advance so I am quite pleased. New words = 3101.

Oh yeah, heyjude, I think my chapters tend to be about 2700-3500 words because that's about my absolute limit for one day of writing.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I managed just over 33k words this month. My best month ever! :snoopy:

heyjude

08-01-2009, 03:54 PM

Too many things to do and forcing yourself to write only increases the load. Get annoyed with someone, and suddenly the body count goes up in your novel. It all makes sense in a hippy pop psychology kind of way. :Hug2:

First, congrats on that word count! Yowza! And second, the above does make sense. Nothing "hippy" about it. :) I freqently have to stop my MC from shooting people when I'm in a bad mood. (Okay, sometimes I let her, but only sometimes.)

Stress worked for me yesterday. Stress in the form of Chuck E Cheese. I think I've mentioned before that there's a definite increase in violent thoughts any time I go into that place. I bring a notebook, a cheap pen, give the kids some coins, and voila. 2165 words yesterday. :e2thud:My little hands hurt. (To be fair, not every word was handwritten, but a whole lot of them were!) I don't know how you handwriters do it...

AnnieColleen

08-02-2009, 09:37 AM

Somewhere over 1000 yesterday, and not quite 500 today. And I need to draw up a layout for one of the buildings, 'cause I'm confusing myself now...

heyjude, to save your hands when writing longhand, think good pens. I use a fountain pen. Much smoother and easier on the hands since it takes little pressure to make a mark.

Hettie

08-07-2009, 09:29 AM

Hello- I was worried you all would have finished your WIP's before I even typed another word... I actually have great news... no, no agent, not being published or anything that fantastic, but I did write 530 words tonight!!! Woohoo!!!

Seeing as my house has been like this lately :e2stooges:.... 530 was a miracle in itself!

heyjude

08-07-2009, 05:14 PM

Oh, man, do I hate being the bearer of bad news...

Look up, Hettie. It's August.

Hettie

08-07-2009, 08:15 PM

Crap, does that mean that we are done with this thread????

heyjude

08-07-2009, 08:25 PM

Yes, dear. Look down one at "August August." But I sympathize. My house is in a similar state. :)